The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

 

Store operators from across the UK came together for the first time to share experiences and discuss potential improvements on the packaging and storage of Higher Activity Waste (HAW).

More than 30 participants attended the two-day workshop at Trawsfynydd, in Wales, which was intended as a key step in developing a set of guiding principles for use across the entire nuclear sector.

The principles will form part of the work being carried out by the NDA to consider more effective approaches to the storage of HAW, in particular Intermediate Level Waste.

Workshop attendees toured Trawsfynydd site, spending time in the newly opened ILW store, before taking part in informal discussions on how to pool experiences, learn from previous challenges and formulate guidance to incorporate best practice.

Among the issues on the agenda were:

 

• Package performance
• Storage of records and data
• Environmental conditions
• Store design
• Store performance
• Package import and export

Project lead Mark Tearle said:

"It was invaluable to understand the depth of experience that we can pool collectively and, hopefully, draft guidelines that are of real benefit in assisting the nuclear sector with managing HAW more effectively and more consistently. There was an appetite to continue talking and sharing on a regular basis, and it is possible that such a workshop may become an annual event."

The first draft guidelines are expected to be completed towards the end of 2010.

The workshop arose from an Integrated Project Team (IPT), set up by the NDA last year and led by Magnox North, comprising waste management experts from across the industry including NDA, NDA's Radioactive Waste Management Directorate, Site Licence Companies, British Energy, and where appropriate, other commercial waste producers.

Formation of the IPT followed the publication of two reports: 

 

NDA's report:

 UK Higher Radioactive Waste Interim Storage Review 2009 (1Mb)
This Review includes storage regimes for solid intermediate level waste (ILW) (raw and immobilised) and for high level waste (HLW) across the UK on both NDA and non-NDA sites and considered the following; waste conditioning plans, existing store information (where a waste is due to be relocated to a new store), store design lives and lifetime extension capability, store environmental controls, monitoring and inspection regimes and storage optimisation of conditioned wastes.

 

The independent Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) report:

 Interim Storage of Higher Activity Wastes and the Management of Spent Fuels, Plutonium and Uranium - March 2009 (1Mb)
The report covers the conditioning, packaging, interim storage and transport of higher activity radioactive wastes; the management of nuclear materials that may be declared to be wastes in the future, that is spent nuclear fuels, plutonium and uranium; public and stakeholder engagement (PSE) on the above topics.

The CoRWM report recommended a more co-ordinated industry-wide approach to waste management.

The Government has noted the formation of the IPT to "address key issues such as waste package performance, store longevity, monitoring and inspection regimes and store maintenance and refurbishment".

Ultimately, the goal is to ensure a consistent and robust approach to packaging and store lifetimes across the UK, as well as enhance the confidence of regulators, Government and local stakeholders.

HAW covers all radioactive material that has no further use and includes all vitrified high-level waste, Intermediate Level Waste and a small volume of Low Level Waste.

HAW exists on most of the NDA's sites and is currently being packaged and then placed into interim storage at each of the sites where it arises pending final disposal when the deep Geological Disposal Facility becomes available or 'near-surface, near-site' storage and disposal for wastes in Scotland.

While all technical safety criteria and legislative requirements for storage are observed, sites have in the past adopted an individual approach to packaging practice, store design and monitoring. There are 15 existing longer-term ILW stores across the NDA estate, with more due to be constructed. In addition to drafting the guidelines, the IPT is assessing existing storage and package inspection methods as well as examining emerging technologies that could be applied to help ensure safe storage in the longer term.

Dr James McKinney, the NDA's Head of Integrated Waste, said:

"The project's aim is to ensure improved co-ordination across the UK and we are also examining all areas where improvements could be achieved."

The conclusions of the project, expected to be complete by the middle of 2011, will be reported to the UK and Scottish Governments and Devolved Administrations.